Feeding India In Corona Times

Dirty,
unkempt streets, closed malls, movie theatres, restaurants, schools, colleges
and workplaces! This is how India Inc., looked until a few days ago when the
lockdown was relaxed. Why this happened? We all know that a virus, which
existed only in science books and, probably, science labs, has taken over the
entire world, forcing closures and lockdown across the globe.

However,
the above description would be incomplete, without recalling several images
that spoke about an India, which while having surplus food-grains had starving
people.

Millions
of migrant workers with baggages over their heads and children in their hands
were seen walking barefoot, all the way from Delhi, Mumbai and many other
cities and towns, to their native places. Why? They had lost their jobs
overnight and had no money to stay in cities like Delhi.

They came
months or years ago to the cities to earn a living, away from their family
members, thinking they would be better off financially. Some had lost the 8 ft
by 10 ft room they took on rent as the landlord knew that they would no longer
be able to pay rent.

Our
ministers appealed to the general public. “Please bear with the changed
circumstances. Don’t throw people out of the rented places. Don’t ask people to
pay rent. Allow them to pay in installments over a few months”. This is all our
elected representatives could do.

Many
state governments announced that the people would be given food. But how many
could actually get? Many did not have ration cards. This writer also applied
for an e-pass for availing of the food-grain facility for a kindred soul. But
she never got a response. Nor did she get an acknowledgement of her
application.

Many
people complained that their e-passes were rejected. The e-commerce companies
faced similar issues. They either had no workforce to deliver or were facing
supply issues. Many also did not get approval. To cut the long story short, the
government had no clue how to deal with the situation.

Our
health infrastructure was clearly inadequate to take care of the increased
number of people affected by Coronavirus. The numbers started increasing. There
were stories that our health workers had no safety equipment. There was a
shortage of masks, gloves and hand sanitisers, forget the much needed Personal
Protective Equipment (PPE).

In this
hour of crisis, a sector -- that came forward and was attending to the immediate
needs, be it migrant workers, daily-wage workers or health professionals – was
the NGO sector, including civil society organisations. This was the same sector
which has faced the wrath of the government and its policies over the last many
years.

When our
Prime Minister was busy asking the people to clap or light candles or clang
vessels, the NGOs were busy resourcing food-kits, sanitisation kits, PPE kits,
and creating awareness and fighting the pandemic on a war footing. When Prime
Minister Narendra Modi announced the PM-Cares Fund, there were organisations
like Give India, Deepalaya, CRY, Goonj, Zomato feeding India, Protsahan and
many others, who had already collaborated to work together for a common cause.

Even
before the government could think of relief packages, the sector had already
chalked out detailed plans for supporting millions of families. Volunteers had
already started moving in the field, distributing food to millions, operating
community kitchens and resourcing masks and PPE kits for the doctors.

Many NGOs
provided financial relief, ranging from Rs. 3000 to Rs. 7000 a month, depending
upon the funds they could raise. It was certainly much higher than the Rs. 500
that was transferred into the Jan Dhan accounts by the Central government.

The
government did realise the contribution made by the sector much later when we
had reached mid-way of the Lockdown 1. The first letter came from the home
ministry asking the NGOs to fill in details as to how they could support the
government and how much money they would be spending.

The
letter also had the details of the people, who could be approached for
obtaining various permits for working on the field. It is a separate matter
that those officials were not easily approachable. Nor were they available in
their offices.

The
subsequent letters came from the NITI Ayog. The letters started with “Dear
Friend”. Most of the NGOs were confused whether these letters actually sought
help or were directions that they have to mandatorily follow. And there were a
group of NGOs, which did not get any such letter, assuming that they were,
perhaps, not in the good books of the government. In other words, the confusion
never ended.

The
relief package announced by the government was much less than what other
developing countries have been providing. The schemes were just the
refurbishment/ reiteration of the existing government schemes. For instance,
the government allowed employees to withdraw money from the PF account. This
provision already existed in the Act.

Similarly,
cash benefits to the farmers, widows and people with disability were already
budgeted. Support to the construction workers was also announced from the
existing construction welfare fund. In other words, a majority of the
announcements did not entail any additional expenditure on the part of the
government.

On a
different note, how prudent a decision like this is to encourage people to
withdraw their hard-earned and saved money from social security schemes? Would
the government or the person who withdraws money be able to save it again? What
would be left with the employees for a situation that may turn worse than this?

Be that
as it may, we had just adjusted ourselves to the new way of living that the
government extended the lockdown twice. Lockdown 3.0 came with certain
relaxations. However, many were confused whether it is still a lockdown. We
could see the rush on the streets again. Many state governments opened the
liquor shops, without realising that people will suddenly come in huge numbers,
flouting all social-distancing norms.

The
abrupt decision might have brought money into the government coffers but it was
taken without taking into account the violence that women would be subjected
to. Ever since the lockdown was announced, women and children were already at
risk of being physically and sexually abused.

Not only
this, many of the migrant workers and people from religious places were brought
back to their native places. A majority of them were brought without complying
with the guidelines, risking many lives. Needless to say, many were found to be
corona positive. Now who would be answerable for this callous behaviour?

In fact,
many were asked to pay for the journey, knowing well that people have lost
their jobs and have no means to bear this expense! What a pity that a
government that was elected with the motto – sabka sath sabka vikas – does not
even know what the aam janta needs? And how it has to be given?

A report
published in the India today magazine mentioned that NGOs fed more people than
the government. Food was a basic necessity, which the government could not
fulfil. In one of the letters Niti Ayog asked the NGOs to procure material from
the FCI godowns. Was the government think-tank not aware about the transport
issues? Or was it not aware that people will not be able to use food-grains
like wheat without going through the grinding process?

There
have been many incidents of suicide or people running away from the isolation
centres and beating the health workers. The government has miserably failed in
not only providing relief but also taking the people into confidence and
convincing them that there is a life beyond corona,
albeit, a little
tough. Amid stigma, fear and uncertainty, how will India win this fight against
Coronavirus?

Come June
1, the sector, which proved to be a boon, will soon be struggling for getting
their certificates renewed. The NGOs are constantly under fear whether they
would be able to retain their charitable certificates. Thanks to the new
finance Bill, which was passed without amendments despite several pleas and
letters from the civil society organisations.

(The writer, a company
secretary, can be reached at jassi.rai@gmail.com)